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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Sorry if this has been asked a lot! Is pointing out a chat bot the same as trolling?

34 replies

HowDoYouMakeAHormone · 20/07/2023 19:13

because when they are obvious in AIBU.

i would like to think we wouldn't be banned for alerting people to the fake posts but, we already are so.......?

OP posts:
FrivolousTreeDuck · 20/07/2023 19:21

It's troll-hunting which is against the rules of the site - you should report posts that you think are non-genuine rather than call them out on the thread.

#NotABot 😃

WolfFoxHare · 20/07/2023 19:24

Why do you care about alerting people to bot posts? Do you think you’re doing some kind of public service?

BIWI · 20/07/2023 21:58

Well, yes, I think that would be a kind of public service @WolfFoxHare - posts by bots or AI or ChatGPT surely must be NITS of Mumsnet, given that they're not by genuine users.

EuniceNewtonFoote · 20/07/2023 22:03

How do you know they're bots or AI or whatever?

TheSeaDoesntKnowMyName · 20/07/2023 22:03

BIWI · 20/07/2023 21:58

Well, yes, I think that would be a kind of public service @WolfFoxHare - posts by bots or AI or ChatGPT surely must be NITS of Mumsnet, given that they're not by genuine users.

Me too, they're tedious and annoying

coxesorangepippin · 20/07/2023 22:04

Is this because of the Yorkshire one t'other day?

TheSeaDoesntKnowMyName · 20/07/2023 22:05

EuniceNewtonFoote · 20/07/2023 22:03

How do you know they're bots or AI or whatever?

You can tell

There's a pattern to the phrasing

PinkIcedCream · 20/07/2023 22:09

What are chat bots?

PinkIcedCream · 20/07/2023 22:11

I thought they were used by companies to answer simple questions that don't actually solve your problem.

How does it work on a forum?

nonman · 20/07/2023 22:13

I’d like to know how to spot one, I think I can spot a chat gp Starting post, and a lot of them get lots of responses

User3253625 · 20/07/2023 22:17

nonman · 20/07/2023 22:13

I’d like to know how to spot one, I think I can spot a chat gp Starting post, and a lot of them get lots of responses

ChatGPT posts often start with the line "Hi Mumsnetters", evoking the image of a Zuckerberg-like robot thinking of the best way to address a collective group of humans.

User3253625 · 20/07/2023 22:25

ChatGPT also uses a lot of bullet points or listing. If an opening post has "Hello Mumsnetters" plus a fairly lengthy description of a situation neatly divided into short, bullet point paragraphs then it's almost certainly AI.

The big fallacy is that MN is a predominantly female identifying community and ChatGPT (mostly developed and programmed by men) does not understand the nuances of women communicating with women, even as strangers online.

WestOfWestminster · 20/07/2023 22:27

Hi Mumsnetters,

Spotting an AI chatbot making new threads can, at first, be annoying, but on the other hand it can be entertaining to try and spot them.

In the future many replies will also be made by chatbots such as ChatGPT, and thus, the need for mumsnetters will become obsolete.

Regards,

A mumsnetter

megletthesecond · 20/07/2023 22:31

The one I flagged up last week was deleted. I've not been banned.
Maybe I'll be in trouble if I keep doing it.

EmpressaurusOfCats · 20/07/2023 22:42

They often include a link to another site, too. I’ve been reporting them. I hadn’t thought of replying to them.

senua · 20/07/2023 22:50

WolfFoxHare · 20/07/2023 19:24

Why do you care about alerting people to bot posts? Do you think you’re doing some kind of public service?

It would be a public service. I'm getting fed up with the false threads; I wish that MN would wake up and zap them. It does seem that they need prodding into action.

EuniceNewtonFoote · 21/07/2023 18:40

Why are they doing it though ?

BIWI · 21/07/2023 18:44

Because they can?
Because they're experimenting with the technology?
Because they know they're trolling?
Because they know it winds (some of us) up?

EmpressaurusOfCats · 21/07/2023 19:38

When they include links, because they’re hoping for traffic.

Brefugee · 22/07/2023 09:20

senua · 20/07/2023 22:50

It would be a public service. I'm getting fed up with the false threads; I wish that MN would wake up and zap them. It does seem that they need prodding into action.

Show quote history

to be fair MN has always had reactive modding. If you report it, they will come

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:21

@senua you do realise that posts on MN aren't pre-moderated? MNHQ only see/deal with threads and posts that are reported to them.

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:21

(Sorry - x-posted with @Brefugee there!)

Brefugee · 22/07/2023 09:24

GMTA!!! 😂

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:55

AFSD! Grin

senua · 22/07/2023 11:53

BIWI · 22/07/2023 09:21

@senua you do realise that posts on MN aren't pre-moderated? MNHQ only see/deal with threads and posts that are reported to them.

I know that that was their past model when individuals were trolling or whatever. But bots area whole new ballgame and will give MN a bad reputation if they are not careful.
It can't be that hard to introduce a reporting mechanism that spots threads which get hundreds of replies to a first-time poster who never returns after their original, goady opening post.